To ask you what general anaesthetic is actually like?

[RainSoakedNights]

I’m having functional endoscopic sinus surgery soon. As far as I can tell the recovery is going to be fine - a bit like a head cold (if anyone has experience of this operation though please let me know!). But I’ve never had so much as a blood test (I’m 26). I’m on Mounjaro so used to injecting myself but I still hate needles (I know, I know!)

Any experiences would be appreciated!

Sometimes it burns a bit. They will warn you. Hot and painful is a bit exaggerated. Many strong drugs burn when they enter your body, including strong painkillers. I've had Demerol injections and it literally feels like someone is sticking a hot poker in your butt.

I’m not advising you to eat ‘for the sake of it’ just advising not to fast longer than advised by your trust and to follow their guidelines. There are very good physiological reasons for not fasting for a long time; it’s actually been shown than long fasts increase risk. It’s not ‘just food’, it’s fuel that your body will need. Also, remember that your admission time isn’t the time of your surgery; you will be on a list of patients and you may have a wait of several hours in reality before you go to theatre. If you’ve fasted for much longer than advised, you will potentially have spent many hours without anything to eat, by which time you will be uncomfortable/hungry/thirsty and also not in an optimal physical state for your op. I’ve been a recovery/anesthetic nurse for many years. Good luck

Also I woke up crying because I was in so much pain. I’d had my gallbladder removed, I heard one nurse ask another if I’d received any pain relief already and apparently I’d only had ibuprofen - whatever the nurse then gave me knocked me out and I felt much better when I woke up again.

I’ve had a couple of operations in the last year and when I ask ChatGPT about them they’re wildly wrong, from what will happen to aftercare etc!
I love ChatGPT for basic stuff, but for medical it really could just be giving you a wildly different view of what you should or shouldn’t do or what will happen compared to what will actually happen.

honestly you won’t die! But I’ve also had that same fear with ahh this might go wrong, it sounds flippant but just don’t get caught too far down the research hole esp with ChatGPT try and live your life as normal, write down questions so you don’t forget what you want to ask but don’t dwell on the operation

I think something else that scares me is the thought of coming back around - like it just seems so awful

I’ve said that I’m literally going to eat my dinner as normal and then that’s it - I’m not going to stay awake till midnight on the dot to eat!

You will have a "full" breathing tube (no breathing tube goes into the lungs it sits above the division of the trachea). Mounjaro increases the risk of aspiration (undigested food coming into the airway as you go to sleep), so everyone on it gets fully intubated. Depending on the guidelines of your trust you may be asked to stop it for up to a week before

My GA I just remember the drip then being in recovery with huge mind gap, tis v odd. All of us anaesthetists are generally lovely people and super reassuring so try not to worry too much

Had GA a couple of months ago for a double coronectomy. You can wear a bra to go into hospital, then they'll likely ask you to remove it when you get called to change into your gown. I kept my pants on but had to take everything else off. The advice was to bring a dressing gown because the hospital gowns are open at the back, some people didn't and were just given an extra gown instead.

Take a bag with you to put your clothes in, they make a note of any valuables you have with you like money in your purse, make of mobile phone etc then it gets taken off you and put into a locker until after surgery.

The waiting around to go in was the worst part and when you wake up in recovery they monitor you for a while before you can go home, which is pretty boring. The GA itself isn't bad at all, I have a busy mind, so it was nice to be 'shut down' for a couple of hours. I felt groggy during early afternoon the couple of days following the surgery, but it wasn't as bad as the consultant I saw for my pre op said it would be. He basically made it sound like I'd have the mental capacity of a child for the week following the GA and that I would need at least one week off work to recover.

That's not standard unless youre already an inpatient. Elective operations we do 5mins before going to sleep

ive been told two weeks for this and fully intend on asking for a note for that long! The entire thought just terrifies me, I’ve also just realised that with it being such a short procedure I’ve got a pretty high chance of it being cancelled on the day, which will really piss me off. I know it’s not their fault but I’ve hyped myself up for it and if it gets cancelled I don’t think I’ll be able to go through with it!

I found GA to be very pleasant. The feeling as you drift off and lose consciousness is the most relaxing experience imaginable. It feels like the most perfect sleep ever.

It is a bit weird when you first come round as you’ll almost inevitably be a bit disorientated but overall I genuinely liked the process.

We don't do sedative premeds anymore outside of paeds, learning disabilities and cardiac surgery

How much would it be to convince them to give me some 😜 (only partially joking)

I’ve got recurring nasal polyps and every 5 years I need them taking out again. As I age I do worry about my resilience waning but recovery has been fine. Paracetamol for 2-3 days for mild to moderate pressure. I think possibly inflammation. I can’t tolerate anti- inflammatory meds which might be better.
Honestly, I’d have it every 2 years if I needed it because I feel so much better afterwards.
Unfortunately I’ve no longer a sense of smell and therefore very little sense of taste.

Ah, okay! Everything I’ve seen says mild to moderate pressure but then again, most websites are American! I’m guessing just like heavy sinusitis?

I’ve had I think 8 GAs. You usually feel a bit warm as you go under. How you feel when you come round is determined by what you had done, how long you were under and which anaesthetic you had. One thing I would say is, a nurse leans over and says hello when you come round. They want you to respond. After that let yourself wake up gradually, don’t try to force it as you’ll feel very heavy.

I like to ask how I will know that the operation is over. When I had oral surgery I was told that there would be some pads in my mouth and I would feel the strings hanging on my cheeks when I woke up. I did, and it was very reassuring. Other times I was told that when I woke up in recovery the head of the bed would be reassured and w would be able to look around. Again, exactly what happened.

Never had any nausea on waking up. I'd drift in and out of sleep, with gloriously colourful dreams. Quite nice, really!

Anaesthetists and their nurses always seem to be chatty while they put you to sleep.

I have had lots of General anaesthetic operations. Going to sleep never an issue, and often it is a very relaxing sleep. Two things to note often for the first few minutes when you wake up you may feel a little nauseous usually for no more than a minute and then it passes. The other thing often you feel some involuntary shaking, this also stops after a few moments. Usually they wrap you in lots of blankets so you are nice and warm and cocooned as you wake up more. After some ops I have been groggy/sleepy for several hours, after others back to proper awake after an hour. Don't be afraid to ask your questions.

If you’re worried about being sick, ask for anti-sickness. I don’t do being sick so always ask for it as a matter of course.

I’ve had quite a few and always wake up crying

I’m just a bit worried I’ll forget them when I’ve woken up. Also really worried I’ll work myself up for the op just for it to be cancelled on the day - as has happened to multiple family members lately!

I’d say less than heavy sinusitis. I’ve been very relieved and able to breathe through my nose which has been so good.
You do need to rest and take it easy though and avoid going out especially in crowds as you can be vulnerable to infection. I’ve been fine just lazing around and napping.

Oh - amazing!! Thank you!

I won’t be going out for a good ten days or so - and even then it’s just to my nail lady and I’ll wear a mask!

Very common. It's like no time has passed a all. I was in an induced coma for a week in 2021 due to strep pneumonia (lucky to be here to tell the tale) and the first I knew about it was when my friend told me - I thought I'd just been out a couple of hours!

This! Last op was private as the nhs waiting list was so long. No anti-emetic given and dh had to stop the car for me to be sick in a carrier bag on the way home.
Tbh I didn’t feel up to discharge and hadn’t eaten anything. More the ga than the actual surgery.